Laser Engraving
Is there a relatively inexpensive route into the laser engraving world whereby a hobbyist can replace the moveable type with laser engraving onto rubber, or a stiffer material placed in the chase? I also want the ability to produce various design cuts and draw upon fonts available in MS Word, etc. I would appreciate any comments steering me to videos or books to learn more on this subject. Best, Mike
I don’t know much about the equipment used, but I know some people use laser engravers to engrave type and cuts in wood. I just received a cut from McKellier (based in the UK) and I know he uses a laser engraver. It would need to be type high and smoothly finished.
As for other materials, some form of acrylic might work. Rubber isn’t the best choice most likely, but I’m sure it could work to a point. Might not be the best print quality, but hey, that’s what makes learning fun!
Brent C
Double post
We have both a laser cutter as well as a CNC router here in the shop. I’ve had good success CNC routing both battleship gray linoleum and end grain maple to make replacement sorts of wood type. I prefer it to laser engraving as I find it has a cleaner edge, and it’s a cleaner process overall without any smoke. We have done some printing from laser cut acrylic which is then mounted to 3/4” MDF. The CNC is from a company called FoxAlien. I’ve also used an x-carve brand router, both can be had for $600-$1000. Both Inventables (the company behind x-carve) and fox alien have a bunch of videos about the CNC process. I’m happy to walk you through our process if you end up interested in that direction.